CarMax Shares Rise as Activist Investor Acquires Stake, Urges New CEO to Act Swiftly
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 11 2026
0mins
Should l Buy CVNA?
Source: Barron's
- Investor Stake: Starboard Value, an activist investor, disclosed a stake of approximately $350 million in CarMax, a used-car retailer.
- Board Nominations: The investor has also nominated two candidates to join CarMax's board of directors.
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Analyst Views on CVNA
Wall Street analysts forecast CVNA stock price to rise
18 Analyst Rating
16 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 406.420
Low
395.00
Averages
497.94
High
550.00
Current: 406.420
Low
395.00
Averages
497.94
High
550.00
About CVNA
Carvana Co. is a holding company. The Company operates an e-commerce platform for buying and selling used cars. The Company primarily acquires used vehicle inventory directly from customers, used car auctions, and wholesale used vehicle suppliers, including retail marketplace partners. Once it acquires a vehicle, the Company leverages its in-house logistics network or a vendor to transport the vehicle to one of its inspection and reconditioning centers (IRC) or auction locations with reconditioning capabilities, at which point the vehicle enters its inventory management system. The Company offers a mobile-optimized Website, where prospective retail car buyers can immediately begin browsing, researching, filtering, and identifying their vehicle of choice, where it offers an annotated virtual vehicle tour, which includes a 360-degree view of the interior and exterior of the actual vehicle. The Company also offers integrated financing using its loan origination platform.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Accelerating Industry Consolidation: According to NADA, the percentage of dealers owning 1 to 5 stores has decreased from 94.4% to 90.5%, indicating a rise in medium-sized dealerships and accelerating consolidation, particularly among those owning 6 to 25 stores.
- Increased Market Competition: Traditional dealers are facing heightened competitive pressures due to rapid advancements in electric vehicles and technologies like AI, prompting many small dealers to consider selling or merging to maintain competitiveness and profitability.
- Investor Interest: Major dealers like Lithia Motors and AutoNation have market caps exceeding $6 billion, drawing increased attention from investors, indicating the ongoing profitability potential and future growth opportunities within the automotive dealership sector.
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- Amazon's Market Strategy: Amazon Autos is rapidly expanding from a niche pilot to a broad vehicle marketplace, aiming to enhance online sales capabilities through partnerships with dealerships, thereby shortening sales cycles and improving efficiency, while dealers retain control over transactions.
- Changing Competitive Landscape: Amazon's entry poses a threat to companies focused on vehicle listings and dealership leads, such as Cars.com and CarGurus, as these companies, despite their strong brand presence, may struggle against Amazon's vast consumer reach.
- Dealers' Role: While Amazon is not yet selling cars directly or taking a cut from dealership transactions, its platform allows consumers to complete transactions online more easily, which could have profound implications for traditional dealerships and auto sales models in the future.
See More
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- Market Expansion Plan: Amazon Autos is rapidly transitioning from a pilot program to a broad vehicle marketplace, with online car buying expected to triple by the end of this decade, indicating significant market potential and strategic value.
- Collaboration with Dealers: Rather than taking a cut from transactions, Amazon collaborates with dealerships to enhance their online presence and shorten sales cycles, thereby improving overall operational efficiency and strengthening dealers' competitive positions.
- Threat to Competitors: Amazon's entry poses a serious threat to vehicle listing and lead-generation companies like Cars.com and CarGurus, although it has yet to fully replicate Carvana's nationwide inventory and distribution capabilities.
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